Oak Tree Elementary School

The Monroe Public Schools, in collaboration with the members of the community, shall ensure that all students receive an exemplary education by well-trained,

committed staff, in a safe and orderly environment.

Principal’s Newsletter September 2016

Dear Oak Tree Families, Welcome to a brand new school year at Oak Tree Elementary School! I hope that you and your

family had a relaxing, safe, and enjoyable summer. The time flew so quickly! I am confident

that 2016-2017 will be another successful and exciting one for all of us. Our teachers,

paraprofessionals, office staff, and custodians have worked very hard throughout the past two

months to ensure that our building is ready and that our classrooms are organized, colorful, and

welcoming for our students.

This year Oak Tree welcomes the following new and returning staff:

Melissa Quidor First Grade

Alexa Tringali First Grade

Nancy Hanlon Third Grade

Caitlin Prestridge Third Grade

Meghan Doris First Grade Leave

Lauren Fischetti Second Grade Leave

Amy Pilsbury Second Grade Leave

Nicole Sheppard Third Grade Leave

Christine Duane Special Education

Laura Goldstein Special Education

Michelle Maqboul Media Specialist Leave

Carly Collins Reading Specialist

Marc Jiminez Security

Lauren Surick Music

Kim Wasensky Social Worker/CST

Jacqueline Liebowitz Paraprofessional

Latha Juloori Paraprofessional

Lisa Dancyger Paraprofessional

Felice Schlesinger Paraprofessional

Welcome to our Oak Tree Family!

Each school year brings a sense of excitement, eagerness, nervousness, and sometimes even tears. Our staff is working diligently to plan engaging learning experiences and innovative educational activities for our students. I encourage you to establish an open line of communication between you and your child’s teacher. We will be making a concerted effort to keep you informed through flyers, newsletters, updates, reminders, and of course, our website. Please review the Code of Conduct with your child and discuss our rules and procedures. Look over and ask them about their homework and specific questions about their day. It may open up a whole new discussion and demonstrates your interest and that you care. Of course you may also receive an answer like the one described in the poem below! Our Oak Tree PTA has also been hard at work planning wonderful school events for the upcoming school year. We appreciate their time and commitment to making our school the amazing place it is. Look for notices on how you can get involved. Your participation is welcomed and encouraged. Back to School Night will take place on September 28th (Grades 3 and Kindergarten) and on September 29th (Grade 1, 2, and Pre-K). We will meet in the gym for a brief orientation. You will then be directed to visit your child’s teacher for a brief presentation. More details regarding this informative evening will be coming home shortly. Your support and involvement are extremely important to us and crucial to our school’s success. We welcome your input as we strive to make Oak Tree School the very best. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself with questions, concerns, and thoughts at (609) 655-7642 or via e-mail. Again, a warm welcome to Oak Tree School! Kindest regards,

Patty Dinsmore Patricia J. Dinsmore Principal Oak Tree School patricia.dinsmore@monroe.k12.nj.us

Visit us on the internet at http://www.monroe.k12.j.us

When children come home at the end of the day The question they’re asked as they scurry to play is

“Tell me what you did today?” And the answer they give makes you sigh with dismay.

“Nothing, I did nothing today.” Perhaps nothing means that I played with blocks,

Or counted to ten, or sorted some rocks. Maybe I painted a picture of red and blue

Or heard a story of a mouse that flew. Maybe I watched the gerbils eat today, Or went outside on the swings to play.

Maybe today was the very first time

That my scissors followed a very straight line Maybe I led a song from beginning to end, Or played with a special brand new friend.

When you’re in school And your heart has wings,

“Nothing” can mean so many things. SCHOOL HOURS - 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR Students .......................................................................... 8:55 AM - 3:24 PM Kindergarten AM ............................................................. 8:55 AM – 11:29 AM Kindergarten PM ............................................................. 12:50 AM – 3:24 PM Pre-K AM ......................................................................... 8:55 AM – 11:29 AM Pre-K Full Day ................................................................. 8:55 PM – 2:25 PM Four-Hour Session Hours Grades 1 – 3 ................................................................... 8:55 AM – 12:55 PM Kindergarten AM ............................................................. 8:55 AM – 11:29 AM Kindergarten PM ............................................................. 10:21 AM – 12:55 PM Pre-K AM ........................................................................ 8:55 AM – 10:55 AM Pre-K Full Day ................................................................. 8:55 AM – 12:20 PM Delayed Opening Grades 1 - 3…………………………………………………… 10:55- 3:24 Kindergarten/Pre-K AM…………………………………………10:55- 1:09 Pre-K Full Day ................................................................. ……10:55- 2:25 Important Information for Visitors to Oak Tree

Our school district requires all visitors to identify themselves and state the purpose of their visit upon entering our buildings. Visitors are required to sign in at the office and wear their visitor’s badge in a

prominent place on their person. Our staff has been instructed to question anyone who is not wearing a badge. Anyone wishing to sign

out a child during school hours must be authorized to do so and must properly identify themselves with a picture ID, such as a driver’s license. MORNING DROPOFF

The safety of our students is a priority at Oak Tree School. If you are bringing your child

to school, they may be dropped off directly in front of the school at 8:50 am. The other

option is parking your car and walking your child into the school. Under no

circumstances may students be dropped off in the parking lot and walk by

themselves. Cars are entering the very busy lot and are also dropping off on the

roadway in front of the school. Your cooperation is appreciated in this important

matter. Thank you as always for your support.

Please note that Oak Tree students cannot be dropped off BEFORE 8:50AM EACH

MORNING. Staff is unavailable prior to that time to monitor the students in the foyer.

Our school day begins at 8:55 am. We have many parents dropping off their children

and then driving away. This is very unsafe. If your child arrives at school after 9:00 am

then an adult must walk the child into the office and sign them in for the day.

A WORD FROM MRS. AMENDOLA…….. September’s Character Value - Respect As part of our school-wide character education program, we will focus on a different character value each month. Our school counselor will instruct the students through various lessons and programs. You can support our lessons at home by discussing the character values with your children, modeling the values and reading books with your child. September's character value is respect. Below are some books related to respect that you can read with your child:

Time to Say "Please" by Mo Willems

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Odd Velvet by Mary Whitcomb

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Dog Eared by Amanda Harvey

Big Al by Andrew Clements Web Resources There are many wonderful educational websites and mobile device applications for you to download and use. You may have some favorites that your children enjoy or perhaps you are stuck on where to begin your search. Listed below are some websites and applications that we either use at Oak Tree or may be resources for use at home. Language Arts

Word World http://pbskids.org/wordworld/index_flash.html - A word game to practice sounds, letter identification and more. The website and games are also available as a mobile download.

Reading Eggs – Used at Oak Tree http://readingeggs.com/ - Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities. Children can play games, songs, earn golden eggs and other rewards.

We Give Books – For mobile devices http://www.wegivebooks.org/books-This website is owned by Pearson Foundation, and has hundreds of e-books available for kids to read for free. You can sort books by content and age appropriateness. In addition, the foundation donates books to kids in need around the world.

Mathematics

Pearson Success Net – Used at Oak Tree https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com -A website supplement to the mathematics textbook used in the classroom. You will need your login from the classroom

teacher to enter the website. The site contains practice activities, games, reinforcement lessons from the classroom instruction and much more.

Illuminations http://illuminations.nctm.org/Default.aspx -Interactive math games, brain teasers and more!

Free Fall Math – For mobile devices Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The practice can be leveled for a beginner and a more advanced student.

We appreciate your support as we kick off a new school year. I look forward to meeting you at Back to School Night! BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT You are invited to our Back to School Night which will be held on Wednesday, September 28 (Grades 3 and Kindergarten) and Thursday, September 29 (Grades 1, 2, and Pre-K). This is a great opportunity to visit your child's classroom, meet his/her teacher, and get an overview of our educational programs. Please make time to attend this informative evening. A more detailed schedule will be sent home shortly. Code of Conduct The student Code of Conduct is located on the Oak Tree website (you will find the Oak Tree page through the district website at www.monroe.k12.nj.us). Please review the Code of Conduct with your child. The information in this document should be read and understood by you and your child. If you have any questions regarding anything in the Code of Conduct, please contact us at 609-655-7642. Should you need a paper copy of the Code of Conduct, please let us know and we will send a copy home with your child. You will receive a letter confirming you have read the Code of Conduct with your child. The bottom portion of this letter should be signed by you and your child and returned to their homeroom teacher by September 16th. Anti-Bullying Information The most recent information regarding anti-bullying can be found on the district website at www.monroe.k12.nj.us and will also be available as a link on the Oak Tree website. Should you have any questions, please contact us at 609-655-7642. INFORMATION UPDATE The Monroe Township School District is using an automated communication system

called Connect 5. This system enables the district to dispense important information (e.g. school closings, delays, etc.) to staff, parents and students in a very short time frame. It is therefore very important for Emergency Forms and Information Forms to be completed and returned to the Oak

Tree Office no later than Friday, September 16th. Please include your current address, home, work and emergency telephone numbers. It is

very important that we have up-to-date phone numbers and addresses in case of emergencies, both in our school records and for the Connect 5 Network. Please note that only individuals who are

listed on the form will be allowed to pick up your child from school.

PARKING PROCEDURES Just a reminder that school buses and staff use the parking lot to the right of the school. Oak Tree parents and visitors may use the visitor parking lot located in the front of the school. The lane directly in the front of the school is a student drop off lane. Thank you for helping us to provide a safe environment for all our youngsters. SCHOOL BUS FLASHING LIGHTS - STOP! All residents are reminded that the state of New Jersey requires motor vehicles to stop when school buses are loading and unloading student passengers. School buses display red flashing lights whenever they pick-up or drop off students. Also, would you please share the following important rules with your child: School Bus Safety Rules 1. Be on time. 6. Don't yell or shout. 2. Never run to or from the bus. 7. Always obey the driver. 3. Stand back from the curb. 8. Wait for the driver's signal before crossing. 4. Don't push or shove. 9. Always cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus. 5. Stay in your seat. 10. Never crawl under a school bus. Please review with your child the bus rules as outlined in our Code of Conduct. Thank you. RIDE WITH CHARACTER Ride with Character is Oak Tree’s positive behavior program which ties directly to our Rising Star program. Bus drivers will keep track of positive behavior on their bus by placing stickers on the bus poster which also highlights the word of the month. At the end of the month stars will be counted and one bus will be recognized as Bus of the Month. Oak Tree students will receive two star tickets and a certificate. FREE/REDUCED LUNCH AND STUDENT INSURANCE Information regarding free/reduced lunches and student insurance will be distributed. Forms must be returned whether or not you participate. Please return these forms by September 12th.

SCHOOL PICTURES School pictures will be taken Wednesday, September 14th. Please

watch for further information. TALENTED AND GIFTED & BASIC SKILLS PROGRAM Our Talented and Gifted Program (Grades 2 – 3) will begin on

Wednesday, October 5th. Third grade Basic Skills will begin on October17th. TAG and Basic Skills students & parents will be notified of program schedules. If you have any questions about our district’s Talented and Gifted program, please call Mrs. Laurie McConnell, Supervisor of Grants, Testing and Special Programs at 732-521-1550 or for the Basic Skills Programs, please contact Mrs. Amendola, Assistant Principal, during the school day at (609) 655-7642. A MESSAGE FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE, MRS. MC NUTT Welcome back to Oak Tree Elementary School. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing summer. Please see below for some health office reminders for the upcoming school year. Required Immunizations and Physicals All new kindergarten and preschool students, as well as students transferring into Oak Tree School from a private school or another school out of state, will need a physical examination completed by their physician that should be submitted as soon as possible. Physical forms, as well as medication forms and asthma action plans, can be found on the Oak Tree School web

site on the nurse's page. Recommended Physical Examinations Student physicals are required upon entrance into the school system in kindergarten. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a continuing relationship with a physician or other health care provider to

ensure all students have regular physicals at each stage of development. These include one physical in each of the following developmental stages: Pre-kindergarten through grade 2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12.

Screenings I will be performing health screenings on all students over the course of

the year which include height, weight, blood pressure, vision, hearing and scoliosis. The screenings done at each grade level are determined by state guidelines. I will notify parents of any discrepancies that I may find after screening each child. Attendance If your child will be absent, please call the nurse's office at 609-655-7642, extension 3306 to report the absence. If you do not report the absence, a school representative

will call your home and emergency numbers to verify your child's safety. If your child has a specific contagion, please do not hesitate to call the nurse's office and let me know. Please send a note upon your child's return to school. Notes from your physician are requested after 5 days of absence. Illness Please keep your child home when they are sick. Students should not return to school until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of Tylenol or Motrin. Medications According to New Jersey State law, medications may not be given in the health office without a physician's order and parental consent. This includes Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops and cough medicine. Students also are not allowed to carry medication on their person or transport medication to school. Students determined to be capable of managing their own inhalers in school may carry their medication in school with a Self-Carry Order from their physician and parental permission. Self-carry medication order forms are available in the nurse's office or on the school web site. Food Allergies There are many students with food allergies in our school. Please follow your teacher's guidelines when sending snacks into the classroom as many students have dairy, egg and peanut allergies. The cafeteria is not peanut free so you may send peanut butter in for your child's lunch. However, we ask that you avoid sending snacks into the classroom that contain nuts of any kind. Students requiring a peanut or dairy free environment in the lunchroom are provided a safe, monitored place to enjoy their lunch. Parents of students with food allergies can contact the health office for specific allergy information for foods available for purchase in the cafeteria. Parents of students with food allergies are also encouraged to provide safe snacks for their child in the classroom in the event of birthday celebrations or parties in the classroom. New Jersey Family Care New Jersey Family Care is available to eligible families needing insurance for their children. If you would like information regarding this or available Middlesex County based clinics for required immunizations or physicals, please call the health office for information. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child through the course of the year, please do not hesitate to call the Nurse's office and speak with me. Together, we can work out a plan to meet your child's needs in the school environment.

Counselor’s Corner

I hope everyone had a rejuvenating summer break! We are so

excited to be back in school and ready for another great school year.

As you may know, Oak Tree has a school-wide character education

program called, “Rising Stars”. Each month we focus on a different

character value, or, “word of the month”. These “words of the month”

are reinforced through monthly guidance lessons, daily morning

announcements, “star messages” hung throughout our hallways, teacher and staff

reinforcement, and reward opportunities when students display these values. When a

student is “caught” showing these values they are given a star ticket which they place in

their class’ star ticket box. Star tickets can be earned at any time throughout the day,

including lunch and recess, and may be given by any staff member. At the end of each

month, one ticket is drawn from each class at random. The student whose star ticket is

picked is able to choose a small reward, such as getting to be “Oak Tree Helper” and

aid in a small task at the end of a school day. Additionally, our entire school is working

together to achieve a certain amount of star tickets to earn our school-wide “Celebration

Days”, which occur approximately every two months. These much anticipated

“Celebration Days”, which include every student, are a slight variation of our normal

routine such as getting to eat lunch outside or having a dance party during recess.

Through our “Rising Stars” program students are motivated to engage in positive and

pro-social behavior towards their peers. “Rising Stars” also fosters a strong sense of

connection and cooperation at Oak Tree as we are all helping each other “do the right

thing” and earn star tickets to achieve our school-wide “Celebration Days”. Students

understand which behaviors are valued and expected of them here at Oak Tree and it

gives our school a common language to explain these expectations. Teachers and staff

continually reinforce to students that we are not just practicing these values to earn star

tickets, but because it is the “right thing to do” and acting in these ways always makes

us feel proud and helps to make our school the best that it can be. Our “Rising Stars”

program serves as our primary anti-bullying preventative measure.

Parent involvement in our character education program is vital to its success and to

your children’s social and character development. In this newsletter each month you

will find a description of our monthly value, information about the guidance lessons

being taught in each grade, ways that we are practicing and reinforcing these values in

school, as well as ways that you can practice these values with your children at home.

More information can be found on the Guidance website on Oak Tree’s home webpage

each month.

For the month of September, we are focusing on the important value of

“Respect”. For our students, we define respect as, “treating others the

way you want to be treated”. We remind students to pause and ask

themselves this question many times throughout the day. Teachers and

staff place a strong emphasis on using manners such as saying, “please”,

“thank you”, “excuse me”, and so forth. Students are also taught how to

“respectfully” disagree with others by using kind words. Students are taught

what respectful listening and speaking looks and sounds like in the classroom

and other places in our school. Other socially appropriate behavior such as

being friendly towards everyone and introducing ourselves are also reinforced.

Parents can practice these skills with your children at home by making manners a

priority and talking with your children about how showing respect is beneficial for your

children. Our students are very proud of themselves and love to share with staff

members when they have acted in positive ways, even if they have not received a star

ticket. Make it a point each day to ask your children about ways that they showed

respect throughout the day and celebrate these moments with lots of praise and

encouragement. The best way to help our students learn and show respect is by being

good models of this in our everyday lives and by making it known that this is something

that we value. We can’t wait to see all the ways that our students show their respectful

behaviors here at school. Have a great month!

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS Oak Tree Student Council will be comprised of student volunteers in

third grade. We are looking forward to an exciting year full of giving

back to our school and community. Several events and fundraisers run

by Student Council include spirit days, food drives, a holiday gift drive

and much more! Together we will work to make a difference and help

others in and around our community in need. Please stay tuned for more

information as the school year continues!

SCHOOL CLOSED Please be sure to mark your calendar – September 26 School Closed/In-Service October 3 & 4 School Closed October 11 4 Hour Session October 12 School closed October 19, 20, 21 4 Hour Sessions/Conferences

SCHOOL LIBRARY Welcome back to school from the Oak Tree Library! I look forward to having a fantastic year with your students! Over the summer, we received hundreds of new books for your children to enjoy. Many thanks in helping your students remember to return their books on their scheduled library day. Please note that students may keep a book longer than one week. However, they may not check out a new book until they return what they have borrowed. STUDENTS BEING PICKED UP AT THE END OF THE DAY It is school policy that parents who need to pick their children up before dismissal, please send a note to the teacher stating who will pick the child up and at what time. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances arise during the course of the day, requiring an early pick up of a student. When this happens, please be sure you contact the office to share any pertinent information. Also parents should try not to come into the office at the end of the school day to pick up their child at the same time as students are being dismissed to board buses. As you can imagine, this type of situation, when a child is already on the bus, is less than ideal and can be very stressful for him/her. When an emergency develops and you are planning to pick up your child at the end of day, please help us by insuring pick up no later than 3:14 PM, at least 10 minutes before students begin boarding buses (3:24 PM). It is also imperative that emails are not sent to the teacher regarding possible changes. Often the teacher will not be able to read their email until after dismissal. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. LUNCH PRICES FOR 2015-16

High School. 2.25 Middle School. 2.20 Elementary School 2.15 Reduced Price Lunch .40 Adult Lunch 3.05 Second Lunch 3.05 White Milk .60 Chocolate Milk .65 Kindergarten Milk .35

DATES TO REMEMBER: 8 School Store 9 PTA Executive Board Meeting, 9:30 am @ AES Schoolwide Positive Behavior Assembly 12 PTA General Membership Meeting @ 7:30 14 School Pictures Board of Education @ 7 pm 15 PTA Scoop Night 16 Code of Conduct and Emergency Forms Due Summer Reading Due 22 School Store 24 PTA Clothing Drive 26 School closed/In-service 28 Back to School Night (Grades 3 and Kindergarten) 29 Back to School Night (Grades 1, 2, and Pre-K) October 3 & 4 School Closed 5 TAG Begins 6 School Store 7 Grand Falloons Assembly 11 4 Hour Session 13 & 14 Scholastic Book Fair 17 Basic Skills Begins – Grade 3 18 Pumpkin Patch 19, 20, 21 Conferences 21 PTA Meeting @ 9:30 @ OT

PTA Pretzel Sale 28 PTA Movie Night 31 Halloween Parade